Originally bred as pets for Europe’s nobility in the 1600’s, miniature horses were featured in paintings and articles by 1765. Till the mid-nineteen hundreds, Lady Estella Hope and her sisters continued breeding miniature horses. However not all miniature horses were brought to be the pets of kings and queens, some were used to work in the English Midlands and within the Northern European coal mines as pit ponies. Patrick Newell, who lived in Argentina, was the man who started the Falabella miniature horses. In 1868, after Newell passed away, Juan Falabella carried on these breeding methods. Juan then added European breed such as the Welsh ponies, Shetlands, and other small thoroughbreds.
Found all over the world, these miniature horses are bred in various colors and coat patterns. These horses are a ‘height’ breed and are bred in two classes, one for horses 82cm and under, and the other, for horses between 82 and 91cm in height. As a result, these miniature horses are completely separated from the ‘hunter-jumper’ competition. Miniature horses compete in various categories: conformation in hand hunter, jumper and obstacle, cart-pulling, and endurance.
Following its original purpose, these horses are still kept as domestic pets and are jokingly referred to as ‘yard ornaments’. In order to maintain these horses, several accessories are available such as various harnesses, saddles, collars, tamers, and other add-ons. Even though the average life span of a miniature horse usually does not exceed 30 years, a horse named Angel lived to be over 50. |
